Tuesday, 15 October 2013

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke & The Bookish. Each week they host a different top ten topic. This weeks is:

Top Ten Books I Was 'Forced' To Read:

Luckily for me the meme states that you don't have to think of ten, you just need to give as many as you can think of. This one is hard for me because I never really get 'forced' to read anything, I only read something if I want to; except for books for English when I was at school.

So I can actually only think of one I really enjoyed, and it's the ULTIMATE one:

Now I wasn't 'forced' but this was a book someone at work told me I had to read. He was pretty adamant, he had received it as an ARC and said it was one of the best books he had ever read. Now he has really good taste in books so I trusted him and took his word for it. I am so glad I did, it quickly became one of my all time favourite books and series.

I work in a library and I had to deal with Fifty Shades mania and it drove me crazy. Not only did we have over 500 reservations on it but I had to deal with someone coming in and telling me I just had to read it. So finally I gave in and read it and oh how I wish I could get that time back. This is hands down one of the worst, unrealistic books I have ever read. I hear this was originally Twilight inspired fan fiction and it really, really shows.

So I wish to take some inspiration from Inspiring Insomnia, who added to her list books that she forces others to read. Brilliant idea and so much easier for me to answer. So thank you!

How can this not be on here? I have loved and adored these books since I read the first Harry Potter book when I was about seven or eight. Now, age twenty-two, they are still my favourite books. And I am sure I am not the only person who was devastated when their Harry Potter letter didn't come through the mail Although the cover does always confuse me, it looks like Harry is about to get hit by the Hogwarts Express. That would have made this the shortest book ever.

As soon as I myself was 'forced' to read this, I immediately harassed everyone else I know to read this. I wouldn't take no for an answer. My cousin recently turned eleven and I bought her the books for her birthday. So far she had only really read books from people like Jacqueline Wilson, but she has a ridiculously mature reading age so I took a chance. If she hated them then I knew I would have to disown her! Luckily for me, she absolutely loved them. She read them all in a week. I almost cried when I went round to visit and saw the state the books were in though. I can't describe how bad they were, but I almost fainted!

I absolutely love this book. I read this and immediately knew it was a book I would love forever. When this was made into a movie I was so upset as I knew the movie would not do this amazing book justice, and I was so right. This is part of a trilogy but the first is the most amazing of the three and one of my all time favourite books. My cousin will be receiving this soon as well!

I'll be posting my revised review of this on my blog next week. This is a book I read when I was 11 and still read over and over again. This counts for the whole series though, not just the first book. Like with all the books from above I basically harass everyone I can to read this series, it's truly amazing. Again, my cousin is receiving the set for Christmas, and if she doesn't love them - disowned! I am also starting up a teenage book group at work and this is the second book that they will be reading, so excited to see if they love it.

I recently posted a review for this on my blog, as with the books above, this and probably all the books I post are ones that take pride of place on my bookshelf. They are all time favourites, ones I read over and over again and books I am constantly telling people about. The Sight, Fell and Firebringer by David Clement-Davies are so different from any other book I have ever read. The Sight is told from the point of view of a wolf pack and I absolutely love it. Check out review here.

When I read this book it instantly became a favourite and I am so excited for Allegiant to be released. This book is probably a book that lots of people try to 'force' other people to read. I do this to my family and friends all the time, I usually gift them the books so they feel they have to read them. I have got my oldest sister to fall in love with so many series this way. Her birthdays coming up soon and I already have Divergent and Insurgent bought ready for it, she shall adore them!

I just reread and reviewed this book. It is absolutely amazing, a book I read for the first time earlier this year and it stuck with me ever since. It is a book that I should hate because of how angry, hurt and upset it made me but it just makes me love it all the more. It's like My Sister's Keeper where you kind of feel cheated, but you enjoyed what you read so much that you kind of let it go. Amazing book, check out my review here.

I read this book four years ago and I absolutely loved it. It left me a horrible sobbing hysterical mess, which freaked the hell out of my boyfriend when he walked in and found me. He thought someone had died, and I'm there like some crazy person sobbing because of how sad the book was. I cried for way too long about this book. Again I should have felt cheated, and I did but it didn't seem to matter. This book made me a Jodi Picoult fan. Although the movie was terrible, ter-ri-ble!

This is an adult fiction book, which I really love and recommend to everyone I know. Well, not everyone, my eleven year old cousin will not be receiving this for a long time. This is a favourite of mine, think it is such a beautiful book. It's told from the perspective of Susie Salmon, who is watching her family from her own personal heaven. After being killed by a local man on her way home from school, her family still have no body and no answers as to where their girl is. Susie watches how their lives play out as they try to come to terms with losing her. One word, beautiful.

I have only read this book once, I need to reread it some day. But when I read it four years ago I loved it enough to add it to my favourite list and one of those books I have to force upon people. My all time favourite time travel book, I adore this. It tells the story of Henry DeTemple, a librarian who involuntarily travels through time and Clare Abshire, a girl who has loved Henry for as long as she can remember. A beautiful love story, I highly recommend. Again, movie was a let down. Why do they keep ruining my favourite books, why?

So I know I kind of cheated a little, but it was impossible to think of books I'd loved that I'd been 'forced' to read. So this way was easier. Thanks again to Inspiring Insomnia for the idea!

42 comments:

The Hunger Games was on my list too. Same thing, I had a friend who kept talking about it and I had never heard of it, but she kept at me and so I finally read it and dystopian is now one of my favorite genres. And I tell people all the time about Divergent and Time Traveler's Wife, love them both! ~Pam

I tried Jodi Picoult's other books but wasn't a fan. My Sister's Keeper was another story! I sobbed like a baby. My family always laughs at me because normally I don't really cry a lot but give me a sad book and I cry as if I actually know the person!

I am the exact same, books really get to me for some reason. I can't even count the number of times the last Harry Potter book makes me cry, I think I just cry continuously! I became a big JP fan after that, some of her books are a bit hit and miss I guess. I really enjoyed Nineteen Minutes and The Pact as well.

I still have yet to read The Hunger Games. Everyone tells me how good they are, but most of the time I shy away from Dystopia novels because they tend to really do a number on me emotionally, especially in regards to my anxiety, and so far the people I've talked to about it (who know me and how things can affect me) haven't given me a reason to pick it up other than 'zomg it's so good!' and I need more than that, you know? I need details. So I'm hoping one of these days I'll find someone who can tell me definitively whether or not it's a "safe" read for me.

I'm also staying far, far away from Fifty Shades of Grey (book AND movie) because the things I've heard about it... *shudders*

The Sight and Forbidden both sound really, really interesting to me though and I'll be adding them to my to read list! :D

Fifty Shades of Grey, the only thing I can think of that it would be good for is fuel for a fire. Or a go to guide to anyone who wants to know what not to do when writing a book! Definitely keep away!

The Sight has been a favourite since I was a child, I reread it still. Forbidden I only read for the first time this year but it instantly became a favourite, would definitely recommend both!

The Hunger Games is one of my all time favourite book series, but I love dystopian fiction. If we all liked the exact same books then it would be kind of boring. So if you are not a fan of the genre and don't think you would enjoy it, then I can't argue with that. I should have done the same with Fifty Shades, I knew it was not a genre I ever read and I wouldn't enjoy it - but I still made the mistake of reading it!

Loathed doesn't even begin to describe how much I absolutely despised that book! I think I went into it with just an expectation that it wouldn't be the worst thing I've ever read because of how much everyone I talked to raved about it. But, it was the worst thing I have ever read.

Oh! My Sister's Keeper is my favorite Picoult book. The ending is what sealed the deal for me. This is a bit dark of me to say, but I loved how the whole point of the book was flipped upside down by the ending and it actually worked out in some twisted way for the older sister. SO sad and shocking. That book stayed with me for days.

Yeah the ending really got me, I was just so shocked. I think I just found it really upsetting because I didn't expect it. Plus she had seemed so sick that even if she got the kidney, I thought she wouldn't make it either. Such an amazing book though, made me read everything else Jodi Picoult had out at the time.

I loved Time Traveler's Wife! and of course Harry Potter.. :) Fifty Shades is still one of those books that I will not read no matter how much people try and persuade me too.. i just can't do it... lol.. Thanks for stopping by my TTT! :)

I should never have done it, I didn't want to and I knew I wouldn't like it. I still regret it to this day, but at least now whenever I'm asked if I've read it I can actually explain why it's the worst book ever written. How can you not love Harry Potter! The Time Traveller's Wife took me by surprise, I didn't expect to love it so much. Thanks for checking out my blog.

I'm so sorry you had to read FIFTY SHADES OF GRAY. One of the hazards of a library job, I guess, right? ;-) I volunteer at a library, and I often "preview" YA for some of the librarians and give them very detailed summaries if they don't want to read the book. ;-)

I was just so fed up of being asked twenty times a day if I had read it and having to say no I don't want to! So I ended up reading it so now I can at least say yes I read it and it's the worst thing I've ever subjected myself too! =D We all do that for each other, read different books and then recommend ones to each other. I love it!

I work at a library, too, and we had about 500 holds on 50 Shades as well. I've been told by countless people that I have to read it, but that's just never going to happen. Love The Hunger Games and Harry Potter. Great list!

I caved in! I was so fed up of the constant "You have to read it!" about twenty times a day. At least now when people ask I can actually explain why I think it's the worst book ever written. But yes not reading it is the smartest move!

@ Reviews from a Book Worm - I can relate to your experience of it. Haha. I don't understand why 50 Shades was a "must read." If I wanted the BDSM experience, I would have picked up an erotica book. ;)

@ Natalie - Just keep it at that, hahaha. I read it and wanted all that time I spent wading through filler scenes back.

It was so bad! I should have realised it would be because of how many people who recommended it to me also told me it was the first book they had read since they were kids. They obviously just don't know what a good book is.

I loved Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Divergent as well. I have not read 50 shades. I must admit...I was tempted because of all of they hype, but I do not think that sort of book is for me. I read more YA and NA. I have also heard from several friends that not only is the content bad, but so is the writing.

Don't cave, I only gave in to stop 'You have to read it!!!" being shouted at me twenty times a day at work. At least now I can explain to people why I think it's one of the worst books ever written. The content is awful and the writing is even worse. Thanks for checking out my blog.

I love this list, and I'm especially excited to have finally come across someone who's read Clement-Davies! I absolutely loved the Fire Bringer and mildly enjoyed The Sight (I had a lot of trouble with pacing and repetition in that one). They reminded me of Watership Down, which I adored as a kid.

I loved Fire Bringer, such an amazing book as well. I try and tell as many people as I can about Clement-Davies as I believe he is not read enough. Is it terrible that I have never read Watership Down, I feel I'm missing out.

For me Harry Potter was actually one I was 'forced' to read. My mother heard about it, said it was similar to another series I was reading at the time (it isn't) and told my grandparents to give it to me for my birthday. If I hadn't been at their place and incredibly bored, I'm not sure I would have ever started it. I love the series though :)Fifty Shades... ughhhh. I read about the first third before I tossed it. It's so bad >.<I love Northern Lights! I really need to re-read that trilogy.And Divergent is sooo good! Definitely one I also make other people read. When my sister was halfway through Insurgent she asked me where I put the third book. When I told her about the release date she was like 'Whaaaat?! You make me read this and now I have to wait for half a year until I see how it all pans out?!' I love discussing hte books with her though :)Awesome list! I think I also need to make one of books I want other people to read...Thanks for stopping by :)

I have been thinking about how much I need to go back and reread all of my favourite books and series. But I find so many new books that I want to read that I never seem to find the time! I know, it's part of the reason I hate starting a brand new series - if I love it the wait will be endless. But sometimes that makes the series even better, the year long wait and anticipation! I'm buying them for my sister so that hopefully we can discuss them together too. Definitely make one, if you do come back and tell me as I would love to check that out. Great way to find new books!Thanks so much for checking out my blog!

What a great group of books! I agree with The Hunger Games being the ultimate and 50 Shades of Grey being the ultimate downer hahah! I can't wait for the last Divergent book!! Is it Tuesday yet?!?!?! :) haha! Thanks so much for visiting my blog! xoxoox!

Ugh- Forbidden ripped out my heart smashed it on the floor and than put it back in my chest. I have often had a conversation with a blogger friend of mine on whether I actually recommend that people read it. I mean I and I don't.

Your friend got an ARC for Hunger Games - he was really early in on the scene! I usually don't get into things until they're just past the peak of their popularity and starting to wane.

Divergent on Kindle was on sale for $3.99 on Amazon so I snagged it. I'm gonna make a point in reading it between now and the end of the year. Hahaha.

As for Fifty Shades of Grey, I'd take Twilight over this anytime. Sure, there are issues with logistics in Twilight, but at least Stephenie Meyer knows how to entertain. I was bored out of my mind with Fifty Shades (minus the sex scenes). SO BAD. It's the second worst book I have ever read. So what was all that hype about? Blegh.

I know I was kind of jealous of that fact after I read it! But at least I didn't have to wait as long as him for the sequel. It's probably good you get to them at the peak of their popularity, there is usually a few books out by then and you don't have so many long waits!

You should definitely read it, such a great read if you are a fan of dystopian fiction.

I have no idea what the hype was about. Most people who told me they loved it so much said it was the first book they had read since they were kids. Probably should have taken that as a sign. They obviously have no idea what a good book is!

Great list!I love Divergent and I can't wait for the last book to come out!And I think I have a copy of the Lovely Bones somewhere but I'm not sure if I want to read it.Maybe I'll wait a couple of years and then...I really want to read Forbidden as well.It seems really interesting!Thanks for stopping by my TTT!

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